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Surely this must not go unchallenged. Prime minister Henry Puna recently declared unashamedly to the public, that the Cook Islands had no international profile before he came along. He said this when pressed about his frequent, or in my opinion, incessant travel overseas. So, let’s see whether he is right. Earlier there were other people who did some strutting on the world stage. And it was well before Henry Puna rode in on his white horse.

PORT VILA, Vanuatu (Vanuatu Daily Post, May 16, 2017) – A lot has been said about China’s diplomacy in the Pacific region.

And in focusing on China’s presence, in particular its activities in the Pacific, there appears to be more criticisms about the manner in which China is conducting itself in the Pacific, than the positive role that China is playing in the development of many Pacific nations.

Some weeks ago a Professor from an Indian University appears to be quite critical about China’s growing influence in the Pacific placing it in light of China’s commercial diplomatic activities including contracts and economic development activities.

It is possible that this argument is relatively biased against China’s efforts to help the struggling Pacific Island Countries compared to India’s own diplomatic efforts in the region.

Every weekday morning politicians front up on RNZ's Morning Report. It is a rite of passage for them and identifies those ministers and party leaders who are on top of their brief and able to articulate and defend their policies and decisions under close questioning. It leads to tense moments and occasional fireworks, as happened recently when New Zealand First leader Winston Peters and presenter Guyon Espiner clashed over immigration figures.

Pasifika Renaissance was established in September 2014 in Japan as an NGO, with a mission to preserve and promote cultural and historical heritage in the Pacific Islands. We aim to revitalize traditional culture and empower local communities. We work in three main fields: documenting, researching, and teaching about traditional cultures and cultural heritage; providing technical assistance to relevant agencies and organizations; and promoting tourism. You can find out more at our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/ PasifikaRenaissance/), where we post cultural and historical information such as historical photos and educational materials and share updates on our organization’s activities.

President Trump’s budget proposal would eliminate $3 million in discretionary funds used to offset the financial impact of regional migrants from the Freely Associated States. Rather than cutting support to our community, the federal government should give us more money to provide educational and other services to people from the Freely Associated States.

As regional leaders gather in New York for the week-long United Nations oceans conference, we wish to recognise the Pacific’s storied history, as stewards of the world’s largest ocean. We acknowledge the test of time that this region has withstood, and commemorate those who have endure and withstood nuclear testing, a period in history with ramifications that are still felt by our oceans, lands, and peoples.

To prevent a potential economic collapse on Guam and ensure the military buildup can proceed, the federal government needs to revise its policy that denies almost all H-2B temporary worker visas applications on Guam. Last year, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security, began rejecting almost all H-2B visa applications because the federal government said Guam businesses have misused the program.

Today, Guam is the first to celebrate our nation’s Independence Day, which is ironic because so many of the rights, freedoms and privileges that come with being an American don’t apply to us or the other U.S. territories. The Declaration of Independence states that “all men are created equal” and they have “certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

Will raising Gross Receipts Tax from 4.0 percent to 4.75 percent fix Guam Memorial Hospital? It will allow Gov. Eddie Calvo to borrow $125 million to make capital improvements to GMH. Does he really believe that more borrowing will solve the hospital’s problems? Is Calvo mired down by such a deep financial morass that he is willing to borrow in order to keep GovGuam solvent for another 17 months? Is he kicking the can down the road for the next maga'lahi to solve? Last year he borrowed $45 million to bail out GMH but it continues to operate in the RED. With annual shortfalls of $9 million, how far will the new loan go before it needs another bailout?

Pacific Islands Report is a nonprofit news publication of the Pacific Islands Development Program at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. Offered as a free service to readers, PIR provides an edited digest of news, commentary and analysis from across the Pacific Islands region, Monday - Friday.